We had a great view of Duluth from there, indeed the place is used as a ski station in the winter.
Duluth seen from the ski lifts !
I'm the one drinking iced tea, not beer !! As you can see from my hair, it was quite windy that day !
By 1900, there was so much traffic taht a bridge was necessary : the city of Duluth designed and built an unusual "Aerial Ferry Bridge" in 1905. It was patterned after a bridge in Rouen (France) which had a suspended carrriage from the overhead truss, being pulled across the canal by battery-powered electric motors.
Increased traffic in the 1920s forced Duluth to redesign the bridge, which was converted to an "Aerial Lift Bridge" in 1929.
- the truss on top was raised some 42 ft
- the whole structure was strenghtened
- its overall height became 227 ft, providing ship clearance of 138 ft
The rebuilt bridge made 5,321 lifts in the first year. It was renovated in 1985-86. A $5 million rehabilitation of the bridge began in October 1999 until March 2000.
The Aerial Bridge has proven sturdy and dependable in spite of nearly a century's exposure to wind and waves.
Dany in a 1920 pilot house.
Leaving Duluth after having loaded coal.
